November 20, 2011

Hi. My name is Gigi and I have a problem.....

Emails have been on my mind A LOT these past few days.

I currently have three separate accounts.  One for work, a personal one and one for my blog/shopping.

It sounds insane, but it's not.  I have it all under control.  Or so I thought.

A few years ago, my company forced me to submit to a quota system; a system whereby they limit the amount of email I can hang onto.  Anything that I thought should be saved should be sent to a "record retention" system. Let me say up front; this particular system sucks.  It is widely known throughout the company that if you save something to the system you will NEVER be able to find it again.

And thus, as with most stupid company policies, many of us have found ways to circumvent the process.  Whether it be by printing the email (yeah - so much for the "paperless" office of the future) or by saving the emails as .pdfs on our hard drives.

I complained, in passing, to a person I know in IT about this once and was promptly informed that *I* had held the company record for "email hoarding" prior to the implementation of the new system.

I was a bit shocked.  I mean really?  Doesn't everyone feel the need to save important emails - such as the one Jane sent to Jack about their "lunch" - and accidentally sent it to everyone? that gives all the details of how the Smith case was handled?

At any rate, my work email is now kept scrupulously clean - as I print and .pdf emails religiously and promptly hit delete.  (Yes, this "system" has now increased my work load regarding email).

But the reason I've been thinking about email lately has nothing to do with work email (no, I'm on vacation; no thoughts of work are allowed) is because I actually sat down and logged into one of my personal accounts yesterday.

I rarely actually get to "see" the whole inbox because usually I deal with email via my beloved Blackberry; so I was floored to note that I had almost over 1,800 emails in the inbox alone - at that was with me deleting all the spam as it came in via the phone.

As Hubby was sleeping on the couch and Man-Child was out and about for the evening and I had nothing better to do I began to go through them.  It was a tedious process to say the least.

But in the end I deleted approximately 1,746 emails and "filed" the rest in appropriately labeled folders.  Needless to say, I felt like I'd accomplished a major something - even if it was an "invisible" something.

I briefly thought about the other account and decided it was time for bed...until this morning.

This morning I ventured over to the other account and discovered that it's true.  I DO have a problem.  I AM an email hoarder.

I need help.

13 comments:

  1. I have over 4000 in two of my accounts. When I get overwhelmed I just avoid it altogether! I have issues.

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  2. Bwhaha So am I. How have I not thought of printing them? :)

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  3. I have not deleted a single blog email. Ever. I'm going on year 3 of blogging. That's a LOT of emails.

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  4. I never delete emails, I save them to folders. You can't even imagine how many I have! Well, on second thought... maybe you can.

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  5. We shall all look into finding you a 12-step program, Gigi.

    That was a big task, cleaning out that junk mail. I'm a paper hoarder in my home office. Every surface covered. Perhaps you could drop by one day and help me get organized! The drive is a bit tedious, but I pay in cookies!

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  6. My step-daughter has over 4000 emails which she refuses to get rid of. Most haven't even been read.

    She said "They might be important"

    "So read them" I replied.

    "What if they're just spam?"

    "Delete block them then delete them" I spat back.

    "Have you any idea how long that will take?" she huffed.

    "Is there ANYTHING in there that is really important?" I asked.

    "Doh! That's why I still have them!".

    "So read them" I say.

    "Have you any idea how long that will take?" she huffed again.

    We went around in circles. That was about a year ago and since then she has never told me about the state of her email account.

    She must be into tens of thousands by now.

    And you say you have a problem?

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  7. I am a deleter. I let them pile up and they start to bug me and then I let them pile up a bit more and I start to feel twitchy and then i just start deleting. I keep a lot - but old ones I delete. And even with my deleting, I STILL have hundreds. It's ridiculous.

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  8. I am an email deleter, I can't stand to have lots of emails in my inbox. With gmail, when you delete them, they don't really go anywhere, and I used to save them into folders. When i realized I didn't actually NEED them, I just threw them in the delete folder. You have reminded me why it's important to get rid of them! :-)

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  9. I have the opposite problem, I read and delete, often later realising I have deleted something I need and having to beg people to send it again ... oops!!

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  10. My husband Excy is like that -- I am so not -- I try to cull every day, and usually regret deleting something I shouldn't have when I want to see or pass it along...

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  11. I have solved the problem by having folders.

    Actually, the problem isn't solved -- I have folders bulging with emails from five years ago.

    I need to do something. I have a plan. Worry about it tomorrow. Oh, that's Thanksgiving. I'll worry about it the day after.

    We both need a new plan.

    Tomorrow, eat turkey and marshmallows and just forget about the whole thing.

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  12. Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step toward recovery.

    Pearl

    p.s. Happy THanksgiving, and pass the gravy please!

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  13. Have to confess to having the same problem...you just never know when you might need it do you. ;)

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